Battle of egos
by NostalgicUniverse
Summary: A/U: Hayley Marshall, daughter of Duke in Britain in 1746, got herself pregnant with lord who left her with the baby so her father asked her bodyguard, Niklaus Mikaelson, to take the responsibility but why would he take that responsibility when he is engaged to be married to the love and mother of his child, Camille O Connell? Klamille and Klayley.
1. Chapter 1 Introduction

Hayley Marshall, daughter of Duke in Britain in 1746, got herself pregnant with lord Winslow's baby who left her with his unborn child so her father asked her bodyguard of ten years, Niklaus Mikaelson, to take the responsibility but why would he take that responsibility when he is engaged to be married to the love of his life and mother of his unborn child, Camille O Connell? Will Klaus be able to silence his ego and let go of his desire to control her when she is constantly challenging his ego and taking control? Will he be able to replace Camille with her?

P.S. Do you want me to upload all three chapters in one go probably tomorrow or one chapter each day? XXxxKlayleyLoverxxXX wants it all at once... rest of you? It is pretty long story - a fair warning- A bit longer then Humanity. s/11119312/1/Humanity


	2. Chapter 2 Control

When he walked into the room, he stopped as he saw Duke Andrew sitting on his chair and his daughter standing next to him. She looked up as he entered and even from the distance he saw the distress on her face. He wondered _what was going on _when Lord Andrew said "Niklaus you will marry lady Hayley tomorrow."

He thought that he didn't hear him properly so he asked politely "my lord?"

The duke looked at Hayley in disgust and said "you will marry her tonight and give the child she is carrying your name. You were appointed one job and you couldn't do that. Now you have to give this child your name."

His eyes automatically went to her stomach which at first looked flat but now that he was looking at her curiously but he didnt notice anything except for that defiant look on her face. He felt ice cold water being thrown on him. At that instance she looked up and their eyes met and he saw the same fire he had always seen, the same rebellion that he disliked from the bottom of his heart.

Before he could say anything she said "no father. I will not marry him. You cannot…"

Lord Andrew shouted "enough. I have had enough of your rebellious attitude. This chid needs a father and Niklaus will provide that for him. You will be his wife in all sense and you will give him the respect he deserves."

Hayley looked towards him and said with contempt "respect? and him? never."

Lord Andrew roared _"Hayley."_

She looked towards Klaus instinctively and saw him with clenched jaw. He said after a moment "my lord, may I talk to lady Hayley alone."

Lord Andrew looked at him and then at Hayley and said "yes."

Klaus walked to her and said hissed "walk with me."

When they were out of earshot he asked "what was that? Is your father telling the truth? Are you with child?"

She said angrily "if you think I want to get married to you then you are mistaken" and started to walk way when he grabbed her by her arm and asked "whose child are you carrying and how many months pregnant are you?"

Hayley said with annoyance "none of your concern."

Klaus snapped "considering that you are about to become my problem it is my concern. Tell me whose child is it."

Hayley said insolently "I don't know."

He gaped at her and said with frustration "Hayley. How could you?"

She asked sternly "it is _lady_ Hayley to you. Why didnt you tell my father that you intend to marry Camille, your betrothal and mother of your unborn child and cannot get married to me?"

Klaus said angrily "your activities are not lady like. _Pardon me_ if I dont call you lady. Camille and I are going to be married during my next leave next month."

Hayley felt a jump in her heart but said "here is your big chance now. Go and marry her tonight so that we can escape this fate being forced onto us"

Klaus barked "are you crazy? I cannot get married to her tonight. It is very late."

Hayley asked now getting agitated "how about tomorrow morning then?"

He stared at her feeling trapped when he noticed her expressions and said "don't even think about it?"

Hayley said with agitation "if I run away now you are off the hook too."

Klaus said forcefully "no."

Hayley stared into his worried face and recalled how happy he was when he had told her about Cami and said "I am not marrying you so you don't have to worry about it."

He looked around and spotted Emily, the maid. He said to her "escort lady Hayley to her room."

He looked at her going to the direction where he knew her room was and turned back to the room where Duke Andrew had summoned him. As he entered he said "what has she told you? Who is the father?"

Klaus said respectfully "She does not say anything. My lord I have a fiancé and she is carrying my child and we are to get married during my leave next month"

He saw anger flash through his eyes but he said after a few moments "who is she?"

Klaus said "Camille O Connell."

Duke Andrew said after a moment "you will take her and your fiancé to countryside and keep her there. You cannot get married to your fiancé until my grandchild is born. After the child is born, you will bring it to me if it is a boy and you can do whatever with Hayley after that. That boy cannot come in this world without a father's name. I will raise him as my own but until she is carrying him you will be his father."

He stared at him wondering _'what kind of father is he?'_

Klaus asked controlling his bubbling temper "What if it is a girl my lord?"

Duke Andrew said with indifference "that all depends on you. You can keep her or leave her. I need a father's name for the boy."

Klaus stared at Duke Andrew feeling disappointment towards him for the first time in his life. He thought_ 'regardless of how much he hated Hayley she dose not deserve to be treated this way.' _

He startled and shook to his core when Duke Andrew said coldly "if you are not going to marry her Niklaus then I will kill her with my own hands. She cannot bring this kind of shame to this family."

Klaus stared at him in shock and from his expressions he knew that Duke Andrew was being serious so he nodded.

Duke Andrew said "and Niklaus you are free of my services. You are debt free."

Klaus stared at him wondering _'has he just sold his daughter to him?'_ but before he could formulate an answer Duke Andrew got up and left.

When the door closed she slid on the floor with her hand on the stomach and cursed her father for doing this to her but she realized that she had burnt all the bridges when she had gotten pregnant with this child. There was no option other then to marry Klaus otherwise who knows what her father would do. She looked around in desperation thinking '_marrying Klaus?_ _how will she act around him knowing well that he loves someone else, that someone who is carrying his child, that someone who is her friend. Will he accept her after what she had put him through? Will this marriage change his feeling of hatred for her and what about her own feelings? How long will she be able to hide from him how much she loves him and how much she is scared of him finding out about her secret and that is why she is so cruel to him.' _She thought of the time when she realized first time that she was falling for her bodyguard whom she had hated until that point.

**_flashback_**

_five years ago _

_He was so mad at her that she felt that he would hit her and that feeling scared her but she couldn't let him see that so she said adamantly "you wouldn't dare touch me."_

_Klaus grabbed her from both arms and pulled her towards him so forcefully that she bumped into his solid chest. As he glared down her a shiver ran through her body and she couldnt utter a word as she felt his chest touching hers and she looked into his angry blue eyes as he hissed "you think you are very clever lady Hayley but if you pull that again I may follow Lord Andrew's instructions and lock you in the dungeons."_

_Hayley controlled her racing heart and said in the same tone "like I am afraid of his instructions" _

_She got distracted by his pink lips inches from hers and for the first time of knowing him in the past five years she felt like touching them and that shook her to the core. _

_Klaus continued to look at her and then said "if you continue to do that your father's reputation…" but she cut him off by saying "he does not care about me so why should I care about him?"_

_Klaus said in a soothing voice "he is your father. Naturally he cares about you."_

_Hayley snapped "you were more of a son to him then I will ever be a daughter to him."_

_Klaus was so taken aback by her answer that he didnt know what to say for a minute and then he said "he just raised me and educated me because he felt sorry for me and he is a nice man. I am nothing to him except for a servant whom he requires when he needs him but you, you are his blood. Blood is always thicker than water."_

_The softness in his voice just caught her off guard and she started to feel uncomfortable as the knot in her stomach got tighter and tighter so she said "not if water is you" with hatred on her face. _

_She pushed him back from her and stormed into the castle hoping that he had not noticed how uncomfortable he had just made her. She closed the door and slid on the floor wondering what was happening and it hit her that she was falling for her protector- the person she hated most until a few minutes ago. She spend the night pacing in her room and by the time sun came out, she had decided that she will continue to hate him by any means necessary until she starts to hate him again. She couldn't fall for someone who took her father from her. _

**_end flashback_**

Coming back to present she cradled herself as she realized that she had failed miserably- after five years of that incidence she still loved him regardless of the fact that his hatred for her had intensified many folds.

Her thoughts went to Camille and the child she was carrying. She started feeling guilty wondering how will she be able to face Camille who was not only her companion and friend but she also knew how much they loved each other. Wasn't it enough to see Camille grow bigger right in front of her eyes with a child who belonged to a man whom she secretly loved? Now she will have to see them together every day for she was sure that Klaus will never leave Camille and she herself had no intention of making him do so.

While she was depressed about the prospect of spending her life with him, he was having a really hard time accepting it too. He looked towards Camille looking at him in shock, walked to her and said "lets marry today."

Camille said desperately "no we cannot. Duke Andrew will kill you _and her."_

Klaus said indifferently "I don't care. I shouldn't have listened him."

Camille stared at him as the tears rolled down and she put her hand on her very pregnant stomach and said "no. We cannot do that. It is only a matter of few months until her baby is born and then we can get married. I still cannot believe it that she hid it from me."

Klaus grabbed her hands and said "if you think I will leave you alone at this time then you are wrong. Even if I am unable to get married to you right now, that does not mean that I will leave you. Lady Hayley will have to understand that you are the only woman in my life."

She asked "and lady Hayley?"

Klaus said dismissively "I will be her husband. I can do whatever I can."

Klaus cradled a very depressed Camille that night as he asked himself again and again _'why is he marrying that girl whose very existence makes him want to kill himself?'_ He thought about the past 15 years he had known her and except for the first seven years during which he saw her occasionally in the castle as he worked different tasks for her father, he had spend next eight years in hatred that he was sure could only intensify. Hayley was very different from the traditional standards society had set for women. She was rebellious so much so that her thoughts sometimes would shake him to his core. He had often admired that her father had provided her with modern education but he had also come to realize that education is what made her so liberal, arrogant and obnoxious.

He cursed the day when he had approached Duke Andrew to tell him that he was applying to become a musketeer in kings army but instead he appointed him as his daughter's guard and ever since that day it has been living hell for him living in the castle. After eight years being so protective of someone he had realized that it was second nature of him to protect her and that is why he was going through with this marriage so that her father does not kill her, he told himself but then he groaned in frustration as he realized that being his wife means that he might have to make her his wife and the very thought of that just made him disgusted. He thought in frustration if only Camille had agreed to marry him that day instead of being afraid what the duke will do to him and her, he would have escaped this marriage. He cursed the day when Duke Andrew had taken pity on an nine year old boy working in his stable and taken him in his wings, provided him with education and gotten him all sorts of training to make him the man he is now. He cursed the fact that he felt obliged to repay him for all that he had done for him but then he realized that with this marriage he was not only saving Hayley from getting killed at her fathers hand but also paying off all his debts. He thought about how his life will be changed after this marriage. He had lost his job, the source of earning and was on the way of becoming a father. Where would he keep them? He looked towards Camille sleeping next to her and then thought may be he could go to countryside and do some farming and on the side make swords, after all he was an excellent sword craftsman. He took a sigh of relief at having some plan about he was going to do and drifted off to sleep holding Camille in his arms.

Hayley spend the whole night thinking about the impending marriage and how it will change everything. She thought about running away but she was under strict guard. In the morning she was not allowed to leave her room or go anywhere without a guard present.

When the sun was about to set she stood up slowly as the door opened again and a maid came in with a dress in her hand saying "Duke Andrew wants you dress in this."

Hayley stared at the white gown as if it was all a dream and then snatched the gown from her hand and went to the changing area. She striped and put on the gown.

She stood there looking at herself in the mirror dressed in white with her hair made into a beautiful bun by some maid and then she thought of something. She walked out of her bed chamber and headed towards her father's chamber with guard following her to her annoyance. As she entered his chamber she saw that he was looking out of the window. She looked around and said to his advisers "I would like to speak to him alone."

When they left she said with contempt "I hope you compensated him well for what he is about to do for your daughter. People will look down upon you if you are giving your daughter to a commoner."

He looked towards her and said "I will. You are after all my daughter until the baby is born. Once the child is born I will have no relation with you."

She shook to the core at the aloofness on his face and said with determination "you cannot take my child away form me."

When he didnt say anything she continued "I know that you are expecting a boy and that is why you are keeping me alive until he is born. You cannot take my child away from me."

He said "I can. Now go and be ready for someone to bring you at the time of ceremony."

She said with resentment "I will pray for it to be a girl" and left the room.

Hayley looked around the house and then spotted Klaus coming towards her. Before she could say anything he said harshly "your room is down the hallway. Last room to the right."

He looked around in anger feeling cheap at accepting the house, from the duke, along with lot of land and a handful of servants in exchange for doing this for him but he knew that he had no options. He needed someplace to settle down with his pregnant fiancé and pregnant wife and find a way to earn his living, after all he was about to become a father in less then two months. He startled out of his thoughts when he heard her say "at least he paid you well for marrying me."

Hearing those word made him lose his mind and he said "la…Hayley I am warning you. One more …"

She turned to him in anger and said "and what? It is all your fault. If only you had married the girl you really loved instead of waiting for your stupid leave this would never have happened."

Klaus said through clenched teeth "and how was I to know that you will do something so immature and land me in this situation?"

Hayley said in the same tone "are you blaming me for this mess? Didnt I tell you to get married to her today. Why didnt you?"

He was so angry that words slipped out "do you even know why he really wanted me to marry you?"

Hayley looked at him for a moment quietly and then said "you mean besides punishing me?"

When he continued to look at her in anger she said with a sigh "he wants my child to have your name so that if it is boy, my father can take him from me and raise him as his own and not feel embarrassed that he is raising an illegitimate child."

Klaus got lost for words and then asked "you know?"

Hayley smirked and said "you really are ignorant. All that education he provided you with had gone wasted. Yes I know. He would have killed me if he were not hopeful that I am carrying a boy. A son that he so desperately wants. I know my father really well. Why do you think he paid so much attention to you? What a disappointment you must have been for him to force you to marry me."

Klaus who was just starting to feel sorry for her lost his temper again and shouted "I don't work for you or your father Hayley. You are my wife and as my wife you will give me due respect."

Hayley walked to him and said "if you think that I will do what you want me to do then you are wrong. You really don't know me. You think that girls of my status get knocked up that easily. If I can manage to do that and may I remind you right under you nose then I can manage anything."

He looked at her angrily as she turned to leave and then his gaze fell on Camille who was staring at both of them with exasperation.

She walked to her and said "lady Hayley, you should not talk to your husband that way."

Hayley asked softly "how should I talk to him then?"

Camille said "a wife's purpose is to serve and pleasure her husband."

Hayley controlled the laughter trying to bubble out of her and said with a straight face which didn't deceive Klaus who knew her like the back of his hand "for serving he can hire someone Camille. I can take up the job for pleasuring him if he wants to get that."

She looked towards his stunned face and said "whenever you want to have that pleasure from me or exercise your husbandly rights you know where to find me" and left the hall.

Camille stared at her leaving the room and turned just in time to see Klaus heading after her but she put her hand on his chest saying "let her go. She is angry."

Klaus said angrily "I loathe her!" and stormed out of the hall.

As soon as she was out of earshot, she took a deep breath to calm her racing heart knowing well that what she said about husbandly rights was inappropriate but what was done was done and she hoped that he does not come to her. The thought that he can make her his wife with that much hatred in his heart was too depressing to entertain. She went to her room in depression and closed the door behind her.

While Klaus was out, Camille selected the room adjoining Hayley's with a door between them thinking that lady Hayley might need her assistance at any time. In the next few hours she settled her stuff in it. She tucked herself in her bed and cried herself to sleep. She was sleeping in her bed when she felt him next to her. She turned to him and asked surprised "Niklaus what are you doing here? You need to go to you wife."

Klaus said "_I dont need to go to her_. I want you. You are the love of my life."

Camille said "but lady Hayley…."

Klaus said "dont call her that Camille. She is not a lady anymore. She is a wife of a commoner and you are not to serve her anymore. She is my wife and she needs to know her place in this house."

He brought her close to him and kissed her hard on her lips as he put his hand on her stomach. He felt relieved as she leaned into him and put her arms around his torso and they both drifted off to sleep.

For the next week, things were a bit hazy for him. He wanted to move from that room, not wanting to have a room connecting to hers through that door but Camille insisted which he didnt understand why she was doing so but at last he had agreed to it. The more he tried to control Hayley, more she was becoming insolent and with each passing day his feeling of sympathy for her was changing to intense feeling of hatred and he actually started wishing that he should have let Duke Andrew kill her. He just felt relieved that she didnt insult him in front of servants and strangers, at most it happened once in front of Camille. After eight years being around him he had noticed that she had been like that since the beginning- insulting him just when they were alone. For some reason she behaved very properly with him in front of others. He thought that perhaps that was the reason he had stuck with her for the past eight years, not that he had a choice in this matter. Once or twice a maid hesitantly showed her desire to assist him with the bath which took him by surprise and then it hit him that it was because of his marriage to the daughter of the duke and his anger at Hayley double folded and he politely refused the offer. With each passing day Camille was getting more and more distressed which he knew was not good for her considering she was nearing the end of her pregnancy and Hayley was as insolent as ever. Her having to calm him down to sometimes stop him from doing something un-regretable to Hayley was not helping her stress level. To prevent her from more stress he employed the services of a maid he found in the village, being able to afford one now.

Within the first two day of her moving into this house, she had realized that he and Camille were still sharing the same room- in fact the one next to hers. Her heart ached but she knew her place in his life so she didnt interfere not wanting him to know that she knows. She thought in distress that ever since her marriage to Klaus, hers and Camille's relationship had changed. What once was friendship and respect was lost somewhere and she couldn't help but feel extremely guilty. It was after all her mess that created that problem. A maid she presumed he appointed to her helped her with her bath, stocked up the logs in the hearth and took care of lamps. After she realized that he was sleeping with Camille she told the maid to stop servicing her not wanting her to know that they were not sharing beds at all.

Klaus left the house early in the morning to look at his lands and help with farming. But he soon realized that he didnt have to do a lot. _He had been given servants to do that job. Duke Andrew had compensated him well for his services,_ he thought bitterly.

Soon two weeks went by, during which they tried to avoid to each other. The littler interaction she would have with Klaus, she would make sure to insult him someway earning his disapproval and anger. She noticed that although she had forbidden the maid to come to her room someone was still stocking up the logs in the hearth and lightening the lamp and then one day she saw Camille leaving her room and knew it was her. They only sat together for a quiet dinner and then went to their rooms. One night during the dinner, Hayley looked up and saw him laughing at something Camille had said and that just made the guilt in her heart intensify. She finished her food quietly and took the plates to the small kitchen ignoring the maid who tried to take the plate from her hand, not knowing that his eyes were following her.

She looked at the maid who took the plate from her hand and went to her room. As she entered she noticed the lamps were on and fire was burning and the smile appeared on her lips knowing that Camille had come to her room again. That gesture just made her heart heavy with guilt an she went to the bed, fell on it and went to sleep. She still couldn't believe that she had been in this house for two weeks. Suddenly she realized that he had not come to her room once. She congratulated herself at mastering her aching feelings at seeing him spending night after night with Camille.

**_flashback_**

**_Two weeks ago: after the wedding on reaching the house in country side_**

_He looked towards her as the carriage stopped "I want to make it clear that Camille is the only woman in my life. And we love each other. She is carrying my child. We cannot get married until your baby is born but that does not mean that I will change our living arrangement. She lives with me, shares my bed and house and it will continue that way."_

_Hayley stared at him and then said "see if I care. I would rather you dont touch me with your dirty hands."_

_Before he could say anything she went inside the house._

**_end flashback_**_._

As Klaus walked into his and Camille's room she asked "have you been to her?"

He said "no" and started to kiss her when she stepped back and said "she is your wife. She has a right on you."

Klaus said "no I have right on her. You have right on me Camille. She does not have any right on me."

Camille said with the softest of smiles that he loved so much "I wish that were true Niklaus. As a wife she deserves your attention. She is pregnant and lonely. You are all she has."

Klaus said "are you telling me to go to her."

Camille said "yes I am. I am not happy about it but yes I am telling you to go to her. You need to make her your wife. I feel guilty that you are giving me what she deserves."

Klaus snapped "she does not deserve anything."

Camille touched his cheek and said "yes my love she does. She deserves to be cared for by her husband especially in her state."

Klaus said with irritation "I hate her."

Camille said "you _hated_ her but now you have to protect her like you have been doing it for the past eight years. Go to lady Hayley. It has been two weeks since your marriage. She must be waiting for you."

Klaus stared at her, said angrily "no" and left the room in anger not seeing the frustration on Camille's face. After pacing in the grounds for long time he went inside in anger.

Hayley was lying on the bed thinking about her father's real plan for her child and she put her hand on her stomach praying that it is a girl and not a boy when she sensed someone. She jumped but then she relaxed a bit when she saw him standing over her in the dim light from the lamp. Seeing him in her room at night time in the dim light of lamp for the first time ever while she was just in her Shift just made her nervous but she sat up and asked boldly "what do you want?"

Hearing her arrogant voice, he started to get angry again and said grinding his teeth "I am here to exercise those husbandly rights that you were talking about."

It took all her will power to hide the surprise but she patted the bed saying "get in then."

Klaus looked at her in shock but then got in thinking _that she will not go through with it. She wouldn't want me to touch her with my dirty hands _as he recalled her sentence.

She asked "where is Camille?"

Klaus snapped "sleeping and although she send me to you, you will keep your mouth shut about what is about to happen between us. She is already stressed out because of this stupid marriage. I dont need to see her more distressed."

Hayley recovered from the shock that Camille would send him to her and smiled even though her mind was racing why would she do that. He could see the smile on her face and that irritated him to no bound. He pushed her back on the bed and got on her but then he remembered that she was carrying a baby who was not his and that just made him very uncomfortable. He started to get up but she linked her arms around his neck to his surprise and brought him close to her until their lips were touching. He looked into those hazel brown eyes which was shinning in a way that irritated him and felt weird as he felt her body touching his- never ever imagining him and her together like this. After all they both loathed each other. He continued to look into her eyes but she didnt do anything other then keeping her lips on his lips which were making him really weird. Klaus could feel the softness of her lips and then he felt her feet slide up his left leg bringing his breeches up and her other leg wrapped around his legs so that now he was in between her legs.

Hayley felt relieved as his body weight shifted from her stomach to between her legs at the same time her stomach muscles tightened at the feel of his body against hers. She slowly brushed her lips against his and felt him getting hard all at once taking him and her by surprise.

Klaus felt a jolt through his body as he felt himself getting hard never ever being aroused by Camille like that and before he knew it he was kissing her forgetting that he had no intention of going through with it and to his surprise she was returning it and then her tongue parted his lips and started to explore his mouth to his surprise. He realized that Camille had never dared to do anything like that with him unless he initiated it. He was still recovering from the shock at her boldness when he felt her hands on the trim of his shirt and lifting it snapping him out of his shock completely. He pushed himself away from her breaking the contact and said harshly "no. You cannot control me in the bed Hayley."

Hayley looked into his eyes which had gone angry and said "alright then you control me."

he hissed "if you think that I am here to provide you pleasure then you are wrong. You are my wife and it is your job to provide me pleasure and the only way of doing that is to let me in."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized what he had said but he couldnt take them back now, his ego wouldnt let him.

Hayley asked "let you in?"

Klaus snapped "perhaps all that fancy education has ruined my mind too! I am not going to force myself on you."

Hayley said "who said you have to force yourself on me? I am always willing to give you pleasure" knowing well that her sentence was going to irritate him. She pulled her Shift up and opened her legs when he snapped "stop behaving like a whore!"

Hayley asked insolently "whore? Is pleasing my husband equivalent to being a whore?"

Klaus stared at her face before he shifted and snapped open his breeches. While his heart was full of disgust at the prospect of making her his wife, her heart was racing at the prospect of feeling the person she had been in love with for the past five years in her but she dared not show any emotions on her face. When he at last slipped into her, she was all ready for him to his surprise and it took all her willpower to hide her emotions from him.

She felt like touching him, taking his shirt off but dared not and let him have full control over her. And then she realized that he was almost there she grabbed his back and tighten her pelvic muscles arounds him causing a shocked look appear on his face. She saw surprise in his eyes and continued to do so as he released himself. She felt a satisfaction at seeing that she had managed to show him something which apparently he had never felt. He hissed as he finished "you couldn't resist!"

Hayley said, still enjoying him in her "of course not. Old habits die hard" with a soft smile on her lips. Klaus looked at her angrily and then kissed her hard taking her breath away. He broke the kiss before he could respond. Hayley asked "happy?"

He pushed himself in a sitting position, pulled his breeches up and to his annoyance caught her staring at him. As he got up from her bed she said "that was really nice. I never imagined you would be capable of doing it so nicely. Camille is lucky to have you. When will you come next time?" as she pulled the Shift down covering her legs hoping he didn't notice her shaking hands in the dim lamp light.

Klaus looked at her for a moment before he knelt down near her and said "Hayley if you think that this crude style of yours is something I would grow into I assure you I will not. I hated you because of this obnoxious and controlling nature of yours and if you dont change yourself I will continue to do so which will make both our lives miserable seeing that we are married now for however months for."

Hayley stared into his face and hoped that he was not seeing through her and said "I will never change Klaus. If to be loved or accepted a person has to change then I dont want that love or acceptance."

Klaus stared at her and the left angrily.

Hayley stared at him leaving and then as the door closed she turned away from the door surprised at her own boldness but with a smile on her lips as she brushed her fingers on her lips and got lost in the past.

**_flashback_**

_7 months ago_

_She asked him as she saw him patting the horse"you seemed happy? Have you found some treasure to improve you miserable life?"_

_Klaus looked up at her and said "yes I have."_

_Hayley asked looking at him wanting to touch the soft curls "and might I ask what is that?"_

_Klaus said "I asked someone to marry me"_

_She felt as if someone whipped her, the pain was unbearable. She thanked her luck that he was looking in the opposite direction and totally missed her reaction. _

_He looked up when he didnt hear anything and asked "why? no insult? why lady Hayley? I am impressed."_

_Hayley snapped "I am thinking which poor girl decided to spend her life with your miserable being. Who is she?"_

_Klaus's expression changed to that of anger and then he let the reigns go and said "You can leave now. I am busy."_

_Hayley glared at him and then said "yes you are starting to smell too so I should go."_

_And walked away not seeing the angry fist he had made. _

_As soon as she entered her chamber, she fell on the bed and started crying- crying for the first time in her life over a man. _

_She startled when she heard a voice asking "Lady Hayley, what happened?"_

_She looked up and saw Camille, smiled sadly and said "nothing Camille. Just never ever fall in love."_

_Camille smiled touching her flat stomach "too late lady Hayley."_

_Hayley immediately forgot about her loss and asked excitedly "who is he?"_

_She smiled and said "Niklaus. He asked me to marry him."_

_She felt as if Camille threw cold water on her but said with a smile on her face "this is wonderful. Are you carrying his child?"_

_Camille smiled and said "yes my lady. We will get married during his next leave."_

_She asked after a few moments "are you alright my lady?"_

_Hayley said "yes, just want to take a bath."_

_Camille said "let me prepare it for you. Who broke your heart?"_

_But Hayley didnt answer so she got quiet. _

**_end flashback_**

She sighed, looked towards the dying fire and the lamp still burning, curled up as the memories flashed through her mind and she recalled all those times she had made fun of him. All those times when she had felt great annoying him and for some reason he would get ticked off very easily. She just had to lift one finger and he would be in flames. She put her hand on her stomach thinking of the future of her child. She cursed lord Winslow for walking out on her leaving her with this baby and hence landing her in this situation - living with a man she loved but could never tell. She had vowed herself the day he had told her about Camille that she will never let him find out how she really feels about him and she had vowed herself when Lord Winslow has walked out on her that she would never tell anyone what really happened and show her deepest fears to them. The secret that he left her for another woman the moment he found out that he was about to become a father would always be her secret. She whispered "I will take care of you even if no one else." Saying that she drifted off to sleep.

— continued —-


	3. Chapter 3 Ego

\- continued -

For the next few days things went smooth. Klaus didnt go to her again and Camille never found out what happened between them that night. Hayley tried to keep herself locked in her room as much as she could trying to avoid Camille from whom she was feeling a lot of embarrassment. Every time she saw them together, it was so clear how much they love each other and seeing her so much pregnant was not helping her guilt. Every time Camille came to her room to put logs in the hearth, she told her not to do so but Camille would put them and retreat quietly making her feel bad. And then after three weeks of moving to his house she decided to explore the area so that she could do her work on her own. She put on her hat out of habit and walked out of her room. As she was walking towards one direction she heard Camille ask "where are you going lady Hayley?"

Hayley turned to her, eyed the vegetables she saws holding and said "don't call me that Camille. I have told you many times. I am not a duke's daughter anymore. I am just looking around."

She looked at Camille's very pregnant stomach for a moment and then walked towards her and asked "you must be nearing the end of your pregnancy."

Camille said "almost nine months. You?"

Hayley put a hand to her stomach and said "5 and a half months."

She hesitated and then said "I am sorry for putting you in this position but dont worry. This marriage is only till the baby is born. After that he is all yours."

When Camille continued to look at her without saying anything she said feeling flustered "I mean he is still yours but I will be out of his life once the baby is born."

Camille nodded and turned away without saying anything not seeing the expressions on her face changing to utter desperation. After a few steps she stopped and looked around towards Hayley walking towards the barn wondering if she should go after her or not. Old habits die hard she thought. She had been her companion and maid for the past four years and then she remembered what Klaus had told her about not waiting on her so she shook her head and went back to home carrying the fresh vegetables she had plucked from kitchen garden. Hayley spend the day looking around the farm, the barn, the animals and then she discovered his shed and was shocked to see the swords. She walked around looking at the swords and was impressed by his craftsman ship. She thought of all those countless times she had spend learning to fight with him. At last she decided to go back. On the way back she picked up some logs and went back to her room.

Later that night when Camille entered her room with the fire logs, she stopped as she saw the fire burning in the hearth and lamp burning but the room was empty so she walked to the bathroom and gently pushed it open. She walked in as she saw her sitting in the bath filled with water lost in thoughts. There was something on her face that made Camille's heart sink.

Hayley startled from her thoughts as she felt a loofa at her back and spun around. She said in shock "Camille what are you doing here?"

Camille said "I thought you might need some help lady Hayley."

Hayley sighed and said "I dont Camille but thank you. I was almost done" and stood up. Camille handed her the robe and then after looking at her for a few seconds seeing her put the robe on with head down she left feeling bad for her for some reason.

As she entered the room, he said "I have been meaning to tell you something for a few weeks."

When she looked at him questioningly he said after slight hesitation "I made her my wife Camille"

It took her a moment to realize what he meant and then she asked softly "when?"

He said softly "the day you told me to. I was not going to but then I thought you were right. She is alone, pregnant with someone's child who apparently has deserted her and she is my wife. I need to be fair to her but I cannot help but hate her. I just am unable to develop any feelings for her."

Camille said "your liking has nothing to do with anything. She is your wife and she deserves it. Her father threw her out of his life. She has no one except for you."

Klaus grabbed her and said "I love you. You know that you are the only one in my heart. Trust me."

He pulled her towards him and kissed her hard which to his relief she returned. As he broke the kiss she said "I know." She paused for a second and then continued saying "I want to be alone for a while."

Klaus looked at her with regret and then left the room.

For the next two days he felt really bad as he kept on reliving his sex with Hayley and couldnt shake off this feeling that he had cheated on Camille so he avoided her during the day time but held her tight at night.

Hayley was tying her hair when she felt someone take her hair from her hands. She looked into the mirror at Camille's reflection and said softly "Camille, how many times do I have to tell you that you are not to serve me anymore."

But Camille didnt say anything and continued to tie her hair in a bun just like she had been doing it for the past four years.

Hayley looked at her reflection, saw the depression and as she watched, Camille wiped her cheek making her heart sink. She said "Camille it was nothing. He loves you. I am just his wife and …." she couldnt finish her sentence as their eyes met and she put a pin in her bun and quietly retreated from her room leaving her miserable. She sat there looking at her reflection for a while and then got up and left the room in anger. She spotted him walking towards the hall and said "so you managed to upset her eventually. I was waiting to see that happen. How did you manage that? Just out of curiosity."

Klaus stopped, turned to her and said angrily "it is all your fault. I wish I had never met you."

Hayley said "well my father was really keen on proving that you could handle me which I never got to tell him that you never could."

Klaus took a deliberate deep breath to calm himself down but was unable to mange it as he hissed "I did a better job then anyone else would have."

Hayley patted her stomach and said "yes. well done."

Klaus grabbed her from her arm and hissed "if you don't keep your mouth shut I am going to lock you in your bedroom."

Hayley said with a smirk "good luck with that. You know how that turns out."

and then she added "you are getting angry. Maybe you should have a glass of water to cool yourself down or perhaps a bath."

Klaus felt like strangling her but he let her go, stepped back and stormed into his room.

He closed the door and looked at Camille standing in front of the mirror staring at her naked pregnant belly. He walked to her and held her from behind placing his hands over her stomach and whispered in her ear "I love you. I know you are hurt but tell me what to do. Should I too throw her out?"

Camille at once said "no."

Klaus said "it is only a matter of few months."

Camille said "four months."

Klaus asked "what?"

She said "four months. She is almost six months pregnant."

Klaus groaned but said "that is not much. Just remember that this marriage has not changed anything. I still love you and you will always be in my heart."

She looked at his reflection in the mirror and said "I have served her for the past four years and I know her. She is hurting seeing us together."

Klaus said "no. she is not. We hate each other."

She smiled touching his hand over her stomach "even if you dont like each other, no woman will like her husband to be with some other woman. And that is why I want you go to go her as often as you can. She has a right on you. If she is willing to share you with me then she needs something in return too."

Klaus said in frustration "why are you being so compassionate towards her? She is the reason we are in this mess. She is not sharing you with me. She does not want me to touch her so why should I?"

Camille looked into his eyes and said "as you wish my love. I can only tell you what I think is right but at the end of the day you are her husband."

Klaus smiled and moved his fingers to the front of her dress and started pulling the strings and said "right now I want to give you what you deserve."

Before they knew it Klaus was taking off her clothes and then he took of his and was lying on the bed and pulled the covers on them making sure not to put a lot of weight on her very pregnant stomach. He smiled as he felt her hands on his back as their tongues tangled and her arms went around his neck before he slowly and gently made love to her. When he reached his climax she smiled and said "I love you."

He stayed here and whispered "I love you too" when they heard the door open.

She knocked and waited but when no sound came she entered the room. As soon as her gaze went to the bed she stopped. Seeing him on top of her, her heart sank so fast then she never would have imagined. They were covered but she could tell what they were doing. She saw embarrassment on Camille's face and anger on Klaus. He turned to her and barked "Hayley get out."

Hayley recovered from the shock and said casually "oh dont be a prude now. You are not doing anything I don't know. How do you think I got knocked up?"

Klaus groaned and then looked at Camille who was looking towards Hayley with weird expressions too.

He took a sigh and said "Hayley this is the last time I am telling you to leave."

Hayley looked at his naked back that she had so wanted to see but never saw when he was with her because he didn't want her to.

She said "I came here to tell you that I am going to the river so that you don't worry. _My fancy eduction_ at last is paying off and I thought about doing a nice gesture" her tone changed to sarcasm in the middle of the sentence bringing surprise to Camille's face.

Klaus looked back at her as she picked up his shirt from the chair. He looked at her curiously and then said with irritation "fine go. Be back before dark."

She was at the door when she heard him say "I dont know how can you stand her. She is so uncouth."

Her heart contracted but she continued to go out not wanting to hear what she has to say about her.

As soon as she reached the river, she sat down on the ground and realized that tears were falling her cheek.

Later that night he stormed into his room to demand an explanation. But the first thing he asked as he entered her room was "where is my shirt?"

Hayley asked "which one?"

Klaus barked "the one you took from my room this morning to put buttons on."

Hayley felt flustered and said "how do you know I took it? Camille might have."

Klaus snapped "she didn't. I saw you taking it. Now tell me where it is."

She looked at his back and felt terribly annoyed at his agitation so she said "it is over there on that table"

He picked up his shirt and turned to leave when she said casually "I know you are annoyed at me for walking onto you and Camille in the morning but to be fair it was not my fault. If I could hear her pleasure filled voices then I wouldn't have walked in. I get that you don't do it for me. I mean that kind of pleasure to make those sounds but I thought you both love each other so why not…" but before she could say anything further he had pushed her against the wall. He looked into her eyes and hissed "can't you keep your mouth shut?"

She said unable to keep her eyes off of his pink lips inches away from her suddenly wanting him "no I cannot because I know how much you love it when it runs. Now if you don't intend to provide _me any pleasure for a change_ then let me go."

He stepped back and was about to turn when she said "yes that is what I thought."

Klaus tried to control the sudden rage erupting in her but couldn't so stepped forward when she said with a smile "that is more like it" as he pulled her dress up and took her feeling totally agitated at how her eyes never left his face with that insolent smirk on her face. But to his surprise she didn't do anything and let him have full control of situation. He put his hand on the wall and it hit him that he had never had Camille in this position. Theirs was always traditional love making - on the bed under the sheets with him on top always. As soon as it hit him he felt really annoyed with her but he continued to move against her with his face buried in her neck and one hand on the wall while other on her back. At the precise moment when he had started to feel comfortable that she wouldnt do anything to tick him off she linked her arms around his neck and pushed herself up wrapping her legs around his hips taking him by surprise but his hand already at her back grabbed her waist instinctively to support her. She whispered against his ear "don't drop me. I am with child."

He groaned but at the same time he felt his climax reaching so he kept one hand on the wall and other around her back to hold her in spot. As he finished he felt his lips on his neck which send a chill through his body. He put her down and hissed "one of these days you will totally submit to me Hayley."

Hayley said insolently straightening her dress "cannot wait to see how it unfolds."

He buttoned himself up, picked up his shirt and stormed out leaving a satisfied smile on her lips.

Camille was already asleep when he entered his room. He pulled her towards him kissing her gently and tried to sleep but couldn't as he realized that his frustration at her were reaching a level where he was starting to lose temper. She was challenging his male ego and he knew one of these days he is going to snap and might raise his hand on her. He looked at Camille wondering _'why can't she behave lady like Camille?'_ The more he thought about her the more angrier he got. He drifted off thinking about her.

**_flashback_**

_11 years ago_

_He shouted "you are worst person in this castle."_

_Hayley looked at him in shock and asked "why? because I come and talk to you?"_

_He said with hatred on his face "you don't talk to me. You insult me and that is why you come here. When are you going to get that I hate you."_

_Hayley said insolently "well until you are servant of his castle, you will have to indulge me."_

_He said "I cannot wait for be old enough to leave this place."_

_Hayley mumbled "me too."_

_He looked at her and asked "what?"_

_Hayley said "nothing. you left that spot." _

_She pointed at the mud on the horse back. He looked at her angrily but continued to clean it. _

**_end flashback_**

Next evening when Hayley walked out of house she saw Camille carrying a big pail. She stared at her in shock and then headed to her asking "what are you doing?"

Camille said "taking the milk inside."

Hayley groaned and asked "and where is Klaus?"

Camille said "he is at the farm."

She said "give it to me. You are about to have a baby in no time. You shouldn't be carrying heavy things" and took the pail from her hand before Camille could say anything. Camille stared at her in shock and said "lady Hayley you don't need to do this and you shouldnt call him by that name. You know he does not like it. It was different when you were not married but now you are his wife. You shouldn't do things that he does not like."

Hayley looked towards her and said "why? Don't we all drink milk?" ignoring her rest of the comment.

Camille said "but you are a lady?"

Hayley turned to her putting the pail down and said "are you sure?" she put her hand on her stomach leaving Camille speechless.

Camille asked after some hesitation "lady Hayley have you ever talked to the father of your child?"

Hayley looked at her and then after a few moments she said "I don't remember who he is."

Camille asked "what?"

Hayley said "I don't remember who he is."

Camille asked "what do you mean you don't remember. You must remember with whom you have made love to."

Hayley said crudely "not if you are having with two at a time."

And turned to leave so that Camille doesn't see through her lie when Camille said "lady Hayley women shouldn't talk like that. Your…" she hesitated and then said "husband will not like the way you talk."

She turned to her and said "I know. He has been telling me that for the past eight years. It really bothers him that I don't have proper manners. Why is that?"

Camille said "it is good to have manners."

She said "hmm I will work on them" and was leaving when Camille said "are you happy?"

She asked "with him? Do you not know me at all Camille?"

Camille walked to her and said "you can fool him but no me. We were close once."

Hayley felt her cheek getting red. She turned away from her saying "I dont know what you mean Camille. I am tired. Going to bed early today. I am not hungry." She left without seeing a sad smile on Camille's face.

Klaus laid on the bed wondering why was she not at dinner. He looked at Camille fast asleep. He got up and went to her room. When he entered he saw her sitting on the ground in her Shift near the fire doing something. He walked to her.

Hayley was writing down in her journal in the lamp light thinking about her conversation with Camille wondering if she knew her secret. She wondered should she tell her to keep her mouth shut or just ignore it. She startled and hastily put the journey under her thigh when she heard him ask "what are you doing?"

She said curtly "none of your business" as she started to get up but then she looked up and gave him her hand.

Klaus stared at her hand and then reluctantly pulled her up. He asked "why aren't you asleep?"

Hayley said walking towards the table to put the journal there "are you here to exercise you husbandly rights or just to talk?"

She had her back towards him so she missed the shocked expressions on his face immediately replaced by anger. He walked to her, turned her towards him and hissed "husbandly rights."

His anger got more fueled when she smiled and said "oh good. For a moment I got worried."

She paused for a moment looking at the anger on his face and then said "but I am not in a mood."

He stared at her thinking he had not heard her right and asked "what?"

Hayley looked up from his chest and said "I am not in a mood. You said you will never force yourself on me. I hope you will abide by what you said." As soon as the words were out she was shocked that she had refused him what was his right and she cursed what had been fed into her mind about husbands rights but then she shook her head saying "hopefully he will not want to too."

Klaus looked at her still confused that she refused him trying to think of when was the last time Camille refused him but couldnt remember but he didnt say anything and left. As soon as he left she sat on the chair feeling miserable and cursing herself for making herself miserable.

She laid on the bed, opened the journal she had been writing for her child writing each day of her pregnancy incase she had to give him away. She wiped her tears praying again for it to be a girl. She closed the journal, got up, walked to the hearth and poked at the dying fire to give it one last kick. She turned the lamp down and went to lie on the bed again. For the next few minutes she kept on thinking about how to stop her father from taking away her child. Will Klaus help her but even before she thought about it she knew he wouldnt. She put her hand on her stomach and her heart literally ached and she cursed herself for getting too attached to her child but then she said to herself how can she think that way! The last thought that crossed her mind before she drifted off to sleep was that she shouldnt get too attach to her child.

Next morning when she woke up a young girl was standing near her bed. She asked her "what is you name?"

She smiled and said "Eve. Camille send me to help you with you bath and anything else you need."

Hayley sighed and said "prepare my bath but next time dont come in without knocking at the door."

Eve smiled and said "yes my lady."

Hayley said "call me Hayley."

Eve said "my lady, Camille asked me to call you by my lady" and walked away to the bath chamber.

Klaus was really getting frustrated with his life, not being able to do anything productive. He had servants who were taking care of his land, animals so he started going to his shed to work on the swords making that was once his passion. While he was sharpening the edge of one particular sword one day, the door opened and she walked in. He asked "what are you doing here?"

Hayley recovered and said "I love the smell of that sweat you leave here so I come to smell it."

Klaus stared at her angrily and then continued to do his work. He looked up after a while and saw her holding a sharp sword looking at it. He stared at her wondering what she was doing when she swished it in the air. Out of blue a memory of him and her practicing sword fighting flashed through his mind. By the time he came back to present he looked towards her but she had left. He continued to sharpen the sword and then decided to teach young men how to sword fight and suddenly felt excited.

Two days later, he was lying in his bed with Camille curled up near him when the thunder roared and he remembered how scared she was of thunder. He tried to get her out of his mind but couldn't and then he cursed those eight years trying to protect her from harms way and because of that he couldnt very well lie there knowing well how scared she was of thunders - her only weakness. He gently removed Camille's hand from his torso and got up. He looked at her for a moment and then went towards her room.

Hayley was looking at the ceiling seeing the water drip from a hole when another roar of thunder happened scaring her to the core. She cursed herself for never managing to overcome that particular fear of her and for sending Eve away. She suddenly realized that her cheeks were wet and that made her realize that she was crying. She wiped her eyes not a second before she saw someone standing in the room that just caused her to scream.

He hastily said "Hayley" sitting next to her.

Hayley controlled her racing heart and almost shouted "you scared me."

He stared at the fear on her face and realized that under that tough exterior she was still a very vulnerable woman.

Before she could stop herself, her hand went to her cheek and wiped her tears which didnt go unnoticed by Klaus who scooted close to her and asked "Are you crying because of the thunder? I thought you would have overcome this fear by now."

Hayley snapped "dont be an idiot. I dont cry."

Hearing idiot from her mouth successfully ruined his good intentions. He snapped "that is what I thought."

He started to get up when another thunder happened and he clearly saw her flinch which she tried to cover up but too late. He asked with reluctance "do you want me to stay with you?"

Hayley looked at him and said "if you want to have sex then just say so."

Klaus's eyes flashed with anger and he said "fine. Be alone" before he marched out of the room.

As soon as he left closing the door behind her she fell on the bed holding the sheet to her chest cursing her big mouth and stupid desire to tick him off. She was lost in her thoughts when the heavy rain started pounded at the window followed by the lightening and thunder and at the same time door opened again as he came back in.

He said aggressively "you are right. I want to have sex with you" as he closed the door behind him and walked towards her.

She smiled knowing well why he was back. She removed the sheet and scooted over. Klaus sighed, got in the bed with her and before she knew it he was pulling her Shift up but she didnt make an effort to reach to him which took him by surprise.

He asked in surprise "what? No tricks up the sleeve?"

Hayley smiled and said "no, I have decided to give you a break today."

Klaus felt really annoyed at her sentence and said "no need for your pity."

Hayley snapped "I have done many things to you but never ever I have pitied you."

Klaus pushed her legs apart with his hand asking sarcastically "and why that kindness?"

Hayley said ignoring the shiver that ran through her body at the touch of his hand on her naked thighs "because you don't deserve it" as she felt him slip in her making her want to moan but she was not going to let him see how much pleasure it was to have him in her.

He glared at her trying to figure out if she was pulling something else or not when she suddenly moved making him realize that he was not moving. He said sharply _"Hayley!"_

Hayley said in a sweet voice "oh I thought you were unable to"

Klaus hissed "you know all that expensive education, scholars and tutors have gone wasted on you. You have no finesse."

Hayley lifted herself up balancing on her elbows until her lips were an inch from his lips and said sarcastically "I didnt know you were looking for finesse. Camille told me that you wouldnt like this type of behavior. I will try to change myself _just for you_" and gently planted a kiss on his lips and fell back.

Klaus stared into her mischief filled eyes that he hated and angrily moved in her when the thunder roared and he saw her eyes dart to the window and her body tensed up causing the muscles of the wall around him tighten and it took all his will power not to moan. There was another flash of light followed by another roar and he felt her arms go around his torso. In natural protective instinct he cradled her head in his arms making her realize what she had done and a second later he felt the arms around his back come apart but he had seen her vulnerability and he smirked. Seeing the smirk on his face just annoyed her and she shifted and wrapped her legs around his buttocks and pulled him towards her making him curse "damn it Hayley" but he continued to move and then he felt a soft kick against his stomach and his gaze went to her stomach and then to her face and he saw shock on her face. He asked in impulse "are you alright?"

Hayley said in daze "yes" at the same time her hand moved from his back and sneaked between his torso and her stomach and put it where they had felt the kick. She suddenly looked so vulnerable that he wanted to cuddle her and smooth away all the vulnerabilities. She didnt realize that she had a smile on her lips but then her eyes met his and the smile vanished causing him to smirk.

He continued to rock and then her eyes closed and he took a sigh of relief not wanting to let her see his own vulnerability when he comes on. When he finished, she didnt open her eyes but the smile on her lips was telling him that she was aware of what had happened and apparently he had managed to please her which took him by surprise as he recalled how much they hated each other. He pulled himself out but continued to stare at her staring at her vulnerable face.

She could feel her eyes on him so she slowly opened them not wanting him to see how much pleasure he provided her.

She groaned as she realized that she was right. He was in fact staring at her. As soon as their eyes met he said "you know you are not as tough as you want everyone to believe you to be."

He got up from her and was walking towards the door when she said "and you are not as gentlemen you think you are."

He turned to look at her, his expressions turned to anger and left.

He went to his room, slipped an arm around Camille who was still sleeping and drifted off to sleep feeling guilty about having sex with Hayley again.

While he was holding Camille in his arms that night, Hayley laid on her bed looking towards the adjoining door thinking of him and Camille and what they might be doing and will she ever get that kind of respect from him as he gives to Camille. She suddenly felt guilty for having sex with him knowing well Camille would get hurt if she finds out. She thought angrily_ 'why doesn't she stop him from coming to her?' _and then she recalled him telling her that she himself was sending him to her and she wondered_ 'how could she be alright with the love of her life doing something so intimate with another woman? When will this norm change? When will women start telling their lovers that they don't like it.' _

_'__But neither are you telling him to not to sleep with Camille? You are his wife. You have a right to tell him that.' _She wondered but she answered herself _"because he does not love you like he loves Camille. Why don't you back out? Not let him touch you if you feel so guilty about it." _She wondered but then answered herself _"he is your husband. However liberal in thinking you have become, you cannot take that right away from him- the right that the god and society has given him- doesn't matter how much he hates you." _

She put her hand on her stomach as she felt the kick again and thought of a while ago when her baby had kicked her the first time when he was making love to her. Love or sex? she questioned herself but then she shook her head saying to herself "love, he will only make to Camille who deserves him. I am just an annoying obligation to him and considering that he does not even like me he is fulfilling his husbandly duties quite efficiently" and then the smile vanished from her lips as she remembered that her father had full intention of taking this baby from her. She shouldn't care about it. She closed her eyes, let the tears fall from her eyes and get absorb into the pillow and drifted off to sleep.

Klaus got off his horse and strolled in the barn. He stopped as he saw her patting a horse. Remembering her passion for riding, he walked to her and grabbed the reins and asked "what the hell do you think you are doing?"

Hayley stared at him and then said "going for a ride."

He said "are you crazy? you shouldn't be riding a horse in your condition."

Hayley asked innocently "why, what happened to me?"

Klaus looked at her and said "maybe you have forgotten that you are carrying a child or is it that you dont care about this child."

Hayley said after a moment "the second one" and walked away from him.

He continued to look at her in shock and then followed her asking "you dont care about your baby?"

Hayley thought about her recent thoughts about the baby and said "no. Is that surprising?"

Klaus said in disbelief "I cannot believe it. What is happening to you Hayley? You are going to be a mother to your child in a few months."

She turned to him and walked to him saying "yes I will be but do I have to care about it right now. When _she_ will be born I can show her all the care she needs."

Klaus looked at her wondering was she being serious or pulling something again but the serious look on her face just made a drop in his stomach.

He continued to look at her as she turned and walked away. For the next hour he was busy practicing sword fighting with one of the young men from the village but she was at the back of his mind. After he was finished with the training session, he went to Camille who was knitting something and asked abruptly "Camille, have you ever felt that you didnt care about our child?"

Camille looked up and him and asked smiling "what sort of question is that?"

Klaus said feeling agitated now "just answer me."

Camille said in confusion "no."

Klaus said "Talk to her. She said today that she does not care about her child. I am afraid she might do something to harm her child."

Camille said dismissively "no Niklaus, that is not possible."

Klaus said "you dont know her Camille."

Camille said seeing the worry on his face "alright I will talk to her."

Next evening when he got home after a long day he wanted to take a bath to wash off the sweat and fatigue of the whole day but stopped as he saw Camille pacing in their room. As their eyes met, she said "you were right. She actually does not care about her child and she looks depressed. Maybe she is feeling lonely. Maybe she wants to go home. Our life style is so different from what she has been used to."

She paused for a second and then asked "have you been to her?"

Klaus siad "no."

Camille asked "why not?"

Klaus said "I don't want her."

Camille said "maybe that is the reason she is feeling depressed. You should go to her."

Klaus said with annoyance "Camille how can you send me to her? You know I dont like her."

She said "she is pregnant with no baby father. Like I have said you before, you are the only person she has left in her life. I dont send you to her happily but you are her husband and she has a right on you. I can understand what she is going through and like you I am afraid that she might do something to harm herself or her baby. We both know how stubborn she can get."

Hayley was lying on the bed thinking about Camille and her discussion about her feelings for her child. At first she was surprised when Camille had brought up the topic but then she realized that Klaus had something to do with it. Even then she couldnt help telling her the same thing she had told Klaus as if saying that again and again will make her not care about that child she was carrying. Her heart ached that they both couldnt understand how she couldnt care about her child not once asking or thinking _what_ she was afraid of and _why _she didnt want to develop those feelings for that child. She put her hand on her stomach and wondered "Will she be able to live without her child? Damn you Winslow if you only you had not been so coward."

She startled as the door opened and he walked in. She looked towards him but didnt say anything and just scooted on her bed making space for him. Klaus stared at her and then walked to her. As he sat on the bed she said "I know why you are here but if you dont mind can you just lie down with me."

He stared at her in surprise at her soft tone but at the same time he didnt want to do that. Somehow that felt too intimate for him more then sex. He felt like leaving her room as quickly as he could but he nodded and laid next to her. He got another surprise when her hand ended up on his chest.

She didn't know what to say so she kept quiet. He took a deep breath and said "Hayley you cannot hate your own baby."

Hayley sighed but before she could stop herself she said "maybe if the father was not a coward."

Klaus continued to stare at the ceiling and then he felt her tensed up and remove her hand. He looked towards her and it hit him. He sat up as he realized that this is the first time she has talked about the father. He turned to her and asked her "who is he?"

Hayley stared into his face feeling embarrassed by sharing that piece of information with him and seeing the sympathy on his face made her say "someone who gave me so much pleasure you cannot even think about giving."

Before she knew it he was on top of her pinning her arms over her head and hissed "enough. I have had enough of your insult. No more. You are my wife and _you will behave like my wife_."

She said looking into his eyes"make me."

He said through clenched teeth "Hayley I am losing my patience with you. If you were not pregnant. I would…" he was so angry that he was unable to finish his sentence.

She asked "you would what? hit me? Kill me? Do it before I die of boredom in this house."

Klaus started to get up from her angrily she said "now I am ready for what you came for."

Klaus sighed as he recalled his discussion with Camille and decided to squash his ego but before he could say anything she said "so what are you waiting for. Have me."

Klaus looked at her disrespectful face and said with irritation "Hayley. You are so infuriating. You really think that I will treat you like a whore even if you paint the picture so perfectly" and got off and sat at the edge of the bed.

Hayley looked at the anger on his face and felt like cradling him but she realized that he was there for her just because of the responsibility he was feeling towards her even after all this annoyance and hatred so she got up and sat in his lap totally surprising him.

He asked "what the hell are you doing now?"

Hayley said with racing heart "it seemed that you have changed your mind suddenly. I could only conclude that because you are unable to perform so I thought I might help seeing that I am a whore" and then he felt a jolt as her hands grabbed his private through his trousers. She got surprised at her own boldness too but she realized that she didnt care. She just wanted him to feel satisfied that he was fulfilling his duties.

Klaus felt as if someone had slapped him. He grabbed her hands and roared "how dare you?"

Hayley said insolently "dare you what? Obviously you cannot perform so I being a good wife was helping you. It seems you are ready now" as she looked down.

He pushed her down on the bed in anger and took of his breeches and hissed "stay still."

Hayley said rolling her eyes "oh sure."

He groaned and took her. As soon as he entered her he felt her shift on the bed and he lost it and barked "Hayley if you dont stop I will…." but he couldn't finish the sentence as she tighten her grip around him and he fell on her. She smiled with satisfaction into his neck as he started to move. She relaxed her muscles around him absorbing the smell of his sweat as she started to reach the climax and at the same time she felt a squeeze on her breast which took her by surprise but she didnt show any reaction.

When he was panting against her neck she said "I tried. Honestly I tried to submit but I couldnt. Maybe next time."

He looked up and for the first time ever he couldnt help but laugh helplessly taking her by surprise.

He got up from her and laid next to her and then he pulled her towards him which took her by surprise again and said "you think you can win from me. I will break you. Just wait and see."

Hayley said sarcastically "can't wait."

He pushed her away, pulled up his breeches and left.

-continued-


	4. Chapter 4 Ego and Control

-continued-

Much later that night as he laid next to Camille as she slept, he realized that she was on a self destructive path and she will not change. A fear started from the pit of his stomach that if she keeps at it she will cause damage to herself and the child she was carrying and hated. At the thought of that child, he wondered _'wouldnt it be good if her father raises the child considering she does not even care about it but how will she be able to give her flesh and blood to her father? Will he himself be able to stand aside and watch him take that child from her arms? What will happen to her after the baby will be born for he will not live with her after she has her child.'_ He thought in frustration _'eight years of protection! will he be able to wash his hands off of her just like that. Maybe he can….' _but he was able to finish his thoughts and then he said to himself "he is worrying unnecessary. She herself must be waiting for the baby to be born so she can break this marriage and get away from him so that shouldn't be a problem but for right now for the sake of the child and his sense of responsibility he should try to be nice to her."

He felt calm about his decision before he drifted off to sleep with his hand on Camille's stomach.

From that day onwards he ignored all her taunts, insults and pushing him around during their sex which after a a couple of times he realized that he had started to like now that he was making a conscious effort to tolerate her. Her getting some control and giving him pleasure in ways that he had never realized and one day he was shocked to realize that he was actually looking forward to having sex with her and that day he didnt go to her and stayed with Camille and made love to her so passionately that it took her off guard.

Hayley noticed the change in his behavior towards her and that started to worry her as she realized that he might notice something so she started to annoy him more and in front of Camille which she didnt dare before but the more she tried, the more he was ignoring her behavior. She often wondered _has Camille told him to do that_ as she realized that Camille was also going out of way to include her into her life. In the beginning she used to come to her room but ever since Eve had taken over she had stopped visiting but now she had started again. Often she would come into her room with some sort of wool in her hand and settle down on the chair and continued to knit something which she realized after a couple of days was some sort of sweater for the baby making her wonder if she should be doing it for her child to but then she would remind herself that her father will take her baby from her so what is the point. Sometimes she would tell her about her childhood in the village before joining the castle. Hayley would listen to her stories about how and what women did in villages. She listened to her with fascination when she told her about quilting bee and decided that if she is still with Klaus by that time of the year, she would host the event at her house. Seeing her in her room was making her more and more uncomfortable as she recalled her suspicion that Camille knew about her feelings towards Klaus but they never touched the topic and knowing that Klaus was coming to her once every other week must be hard for her too. Sometimes she would just look at Camille in amazement at how could she tolerate her seeing that because of her stupidity Klaus was forced to marry her. With them spending so much time together, sometimes it seemed that their old friendship was coming back. They both had started to become comfortable around each other like they used to. Camille had even started calling her by her name occasionally when they were alone but she had always maintained the level of respect between them for Hayley's annoyance- the level of respect that she wanted to leave behind in the castle and then she got flu and their interaction reduced somewhat. Hayley spend her days writing in her journal, doing the chores that Camille had been ignoring the maid's request about not doing them. After the day carrying water, gathering fresh fruits and vegetables for the day's meals from the kitchen garden, getting the milk to the house she would feel really tired but she made it a point to visit her room once a day whenever he was not in there. She had often noticed that none of the neighbors visited them so one day when she asked Camille about it she just looked at her not telling her what she was thinking and then it hit her that because of their living situation Klaus did want a lot of strangers coming in their house. But then she started noticed a woman coming to house visiting Camille a lot. One day as she was going to his room, she saw that woman again leaving her room. They exchanged smiles and then she went inside and the woman left. Camille was not in her room. She thought for a moment and then walked to the bath chamber. As she stepped in she saw Camille sitting in the tub filled with water and Maya sitting at her head washing her back. She smiled, walked to her and motioned Maya to get up. Maya stared at her in surprise but got up. Hayley motioned her to leave as she took Maya's spot and resumed what she was doing. After a moment she asked "who was that woman who left your room?"

Camille turned around and looked at her in shock and said "what are you doing lady Hayley?"

Hayley rolled her eyes and said "lady? really? Why dont you just relax and let me do what I am doing."

Camille thought for a moment and then turned back putting her back against the tub and said "Amaya is a village doula. She is preparing me for the birth. You should meet her too. She will help you with your baby too. Next time when she comes I will introduce you to her."

Hayley asked after some hesitation as she moved the loofa on her back "how do you feel about it? It is almost time."

Camille looked back at her face remembering how she doesn't care about her child and said "I cannot wait to hold my child. Nurse him. Dress him in the sweaters I knitted. I just want to hold him. Look at him asleep. See him grow up to be a gentleman like his father."

Hayley asked softly "what if it is a girl?"

Camille smiled touching her stomach "Even then. We don't care what we are having. We just want it to be healthy."

Hayley smiled as her gaze went to her hand on her stomach and then startled as the door opened and he came in.

Klaus entered the room, shaking the rain from his eyes. He walked to the bathroom wanting to take a warm bath but stopped as she saw Hayley with loofa and Camille sitting in the bath. He recalled past couple of days when he had started noticing that she and Camille were getting close but never ever had he imagined in his wildest dreams that she would be helping Camille with her anything. He turned and left the room. Hayley jumped up and started to leave but stopped when Camille held her hand and asked "why are you doing it?"

Hayley turned to her and asked "what?"

Camille said "trying so hard to make him hate you."

Hayley said "because I hate him too."

Camille said with a smile "no you don't."

She felt her hand getting tensed up and said "as much as it pains me to admit it but I can see it in your eyes and now that I think about it, I think it had been there for a long time now. How long Hayley? I am surprised that he never noticed it."

Hayley said "I don't know what you are talking about Camille."

Camille let her hand go and said "you do. Your secret is safe with me _lady Hayley_ but I think you should tell him. He thinks you hate him."

Hayley looked at her for a minute and then left.

While on one hand she was bonding with Camille on the other she was trying her best to tick Klaus off but was being unsuccessful and at last one day she succeeded in making him mad when she said "if you were half the man an average man is, you wouldn't take this much insult from me. It seems that you like to be insulted like a servant does. When will you… " but was unable to finish her sentence as a slap landed on her face.

She said in a cold voice "yes, that is the solution to this. Hit me."

Klaus looked at her and with clenched fists he left the room. She wiped the tears from eyes and went to her room too. She said to Eve "prepare a bath for me."

She tried to relax herself as she felt the loofa on her back but could so after sometime she got up saying "I am done. Thank you Eve. You can leave for tonight after handing over my robe to me."

Eve handed her the robe and left.

For the next two days, Hayley and Klaus avoided each other but she was spending time with Camille. On the third day morning when she came out of her room, she saw him pacing outside his room. She started towards the kitchen ignoring him but then she saw that he was worried so he walked to her and said "this worry is normally as a result of something I would do. What happened?"

Klaus turned to her and said "Camille is having the baby."

Her eyes went to the room and asked "now?"

Klaus said "yes."

Hayley felt excitement shot through her but she didnt say anything else seeing his anxious face. She looked towards him as he was pacing while they waited for the news from the room and then they heard the sound of the baby crying.

She smiled and went back to her room while Klaus went to their room to see the baby. As he entered the room he stopped when he saw what was in front of him- Camille propped up against the bed with their child at her naked breast. Amaya walked to him and said in a soft voice "she has lost a lot of blood."

Klaus asked in confusion "what does that mean?"

But it was Camille who said to Amaya "bring lady Hayley to me."

She nodded and left.

Hayley ran into the room and said "she said…" she darted to the bed and sat next to Camille ignoring Klaus who was looking at Camille helplessly. She held her hand and said "you will be fine. You have to be. Your baby needs you."

Camille said looking up from the baby nursing at her breast "lady Hayley …" she paused and then continued "Hayley promise me you will take care of him. He needs a mother and considering you are his father's wife he needs you."

Hayley said panicking now "no no. He needs you, not me."

Camille said now getting really tired "I cannot" and her eyes started to droop. Hayley turned towards Klaus and said in a loud voice "do something."

Klaus walked to Camille and held her free hand and kissed it which Hayley looked at with anger "_is that what you are going to do? Kiss her! Do something to make her better?"_

He looked at her anxious face for the first time and saw the deep worry and fear on her face that he couldn't even imagine. Camille whispered "Niklaus listen" she gestured him to come near her.

Klaus leaned in until he was lip to lip with her when she whispered "kiss me."

Hayley's heart broke when she saw him put his lips to her lips, tears rolling down his cheek.

She stepped back and walked away from them as she watched Klaus holding her hand in his, her baby at her naked breast, their forehead touching each others and their lips glued. She felt her heart would explode with the impending grief. Her heart jumped when she heard Camille say "Hayley, will you hold him?"

Hayley stared at her but walked to her and gently took the baby, who had gone to sleep. She looked down at the small tiny thing in her hands and looked up to see her eyes closed and Klaus holding her head to his chest.

Klaus couldnt believe what just happened. He stayed there, holding her lifeless body against his chest for a while and then he laid her gently on the bed, covering her face, got up in daze, walked around the bed to Hayley and took the baby from her. As their eyes met, his filled with grief, hers with resentment, she hissed "you _are a coward_. You let her die. She died giving birth to _your c_hild and you couldn't do anything other then _kiss her." _

Before he could say anything, she stormed out of the room with tears falling from her eyes uncontrollably.

Klaus kept looking at Camille and then with a heavy heart left the room too. He saw Amaya standing outside the room. He walked to her and said "how should he be nursed?"

Amaya said "mother's milk is best for him. You can find women who nurse newborn babies. Laila lives on the other side of the village."

He handed the baby to Amaya and said "can you stay with him? I will be back in some time" and left.

After he left Amaya looked towards the room she had seen Hayley walk in a few moments ago. She walked to it and knocked at it.

When he came back just before the evening he saw Amaya sitting on the chair in the hall. As she saw him she got up and left saying "I am sorry for you loss. My son and some other neighbors can help you with the funeral."

Klaus nodded and went to his room. He was looking at his son with tears in his eyes when he stirred and started crying. He instinctively picked him up and swayed him so that he gets quiet.

Hayley was sitting on the bed thinking of what Amaya had told her and was wondering should she and if Klaus would let her and then she heard a tiny cry that broke her heart. She got up with determination and went towards his room.

He heard a sound, turned around and barked "what are you doing here? out."

Hayley stared at him for a moment, her heart breaking, tears threatening to fall, resentment for him for letting her die knowing well that it was not his fault. She could see he was hurting so she walked to him and tried to take the baby from him but he pushed her away causing her to stumble but as she stumbled his own hand caught her. She looked at him and then took the baby from him forcefully and cradled him. The baby was crying really hard so she said "he is hungry. He needs to be nursed."

But when he didn't say anything she sat down and starting pulling the strings at the front of her dress.

He came out of trance and asked in confusion "what do you think you are doing?"

But she didnt say anything and continued to do what she was doing and it hit him so he grabbed her hand and barked "stop that."

She looked up and said "then bring someone to feed him."

Klaus said "I will be back" and left.

He came back with a cup with some milk in it. Hayley stared at it but then took it. He said looking towards Camille "I have to take care of things. Will be back in a few hours."

She said picking up the cup "I am taking him to my room."

As soon as she knew he has left, she locked the door, put the cup down, sat on the bed and exposed her breast to him. She tried a couple of times and at last he latched on and sucked making her breath hitch. She was surprised to realize that she knew what she was doing even though she had never done something like that before and then she realized that it must be natural mother's instinct. She gasped as he started to suck aggressively as if his life depended on it and then she relaxed as she realized that he was getting something. She felt a kick in her stomach at the same moment and whispered "it is alright. You both are in good care."

She stared at him in amazement as his tiny fist landed on her breast thanking her luck that she was in a position to satisfy his hunger and for Amaya for suggesting it to her. She scooted back and continued to nurse him.

Klaus entered her room after a few hours and asked "how is he?"

He looked at him sleeping and asked "how did he go to sleep?"

Hayley said "he was tired so he went to sleep. Where have you buried her?" without looking at him .

Klaus stared at her back band said "the graveyard in the village. When he wakes up give him some more."

She wanted to hug him but she knew better. She wanted to apologize to him but the hatred on his face made her lose the courage.

He waited for her to refuse or anything to agitate him but none came which he realized was good because he was so ready to kill her if one wrong word came out of her mouth at that moment. He went to his room and saw the bed-sheet changed which he knew at once that she has done it and he found it annoying for some reason. He fell on the bed and let the tears fall which he had been holding since the time Camille had died. He looked to his side where she has been sleeping for the past 10 months but she was not there. He drifted off to sleep looking at that spot.

After he left Hayley sat on a chair holding her hurting breasts. She suddenly felt really hungry so she got up and went to the kitchen and found a loaf of bread and started munching on it after bringing it back to her room. He woke up four times that night demanding milk and she nursed him making sure that the door was locked. Every time he struggled to get some milk she felt herself hurting more but she knew by now that couldn't give up on him so she continued to help him and hope that he gets what he needs and eventually he did and after that he slept in a stretch of three hours.

It was late and he was unable to sleep. It has been three days since Camille had died after giving birth to their child and it still ached him. He still couldnt believe that she had gone. "She was so young and healthy. How could this have happened?" he asked himself thousandth of time. The baby had given some trouble in the beginning but then he calmed down. He and Hayley had not interacted at all during these three days except for when she had insisted on keeping the baby in her room since she was the one who was feeding him in the middle of the night. Seeing logic in it, Klaus had agreed to it even though he was extremely angry with her about her insulting behavior leading up to the day Camille died. Her remark on Camille's death was not helping him with the guilt that he had been unable to save Camille. But even in that anger he had realized during these three days that she loved his child. _Perhaps because she herself os pregnant but then why does she not care about her child_ he wondered. He often saw her holding the baby and swaying him gently in her arms. Seeing her with a baby in her arms and another in her stomach which was now starting to show quite a bit was an amazing sight but his resentment towards her had reached a point that, had it not been for his son, he would have kicked her out of his home.

When he still couldn't sleep he decided to go and look at him so he got up and went towards her room through the adjoining door. As he entered her room thinking she might be sleeping, he saw her sitting on the chair with her back towards the door.

Hayley cursed herself for not locking the door as she saw him walk towards the crib and waited for his outburst but it never came. Instead he turned towards her and she saw panic on his face. He was about to ask her about him when he noticed a cloth on her chest. He walked to her as their eyes met. He removed the cloth from her breast as she averted her eyes and stared at his son resting in her arms, sucking at her breast. She took the cloth from his hand and covered herself again. He stared at her for a moment still in shock and then left her room. After a few minutes Hayley put the baby in the crib and noticed him standing at the door when she turned to lie down on her own bed. Their eyes met and she prepared herself for his wrath but when he didnt say anything she continued to her bed. She had taken a step when he grabbed her by her arm and pulled her towards him so hard that a painful gasp escaped from her mouth. He released her arm and asked coldly "what is it?"

Hayley said "nothing."

Klaus said grinding his teeth "answer me."

Hayley whispered after a moment of hesitation "it hurts."

He asked in confusion "what?"

Hayley said "my …. my breast."

He stared at her and then asked gingerly "because of feeding him?"

When she didn't say anything he asked "why are you doing it?"

Hayley said softly "because he needs me."

Klaus said harshly "no he does not. I will arrange someone for him."

Hayley ignored the hurt caused by his words and said coldly "when you find someone, do tell. Until then I am what he has" and turned toward her bed.

Klaus grabbed her by her arm and turned her towards him saying "no, I will get someone who can nurse him then. Until then he will have cow's milk. You are not to touch him again."

She stared at him in shock and then before she could stop herself she said "you would let a stranger nurse him but not me who can and is probably going to be his mother."

Klaus said with contempt "yes. Like I said I dont want him to depend on you and I definitely dont want to be in your debt. You and I are only together for the next three months hopefully less time."

She felt as if he had slapped her. Her yes went cold which didnt go unnoticed by Klaus but to his surprise she didnt say anything, just turned away from him and went to her bed and laid down. Klaus stared at her for a few minutes now starting to feel guilty. He looked back at the baby went to him, picked him up and took him to his room saying "he will be sleeping in my room from today."

Next morning when he woke up, he checked on the baby sleeping on the bed next to him and then he went to take a bath. After taking the bath, he put on his breeches and came out. He was wearing his shirt when she walked in.

As she entered the room, she stopped and instinctively turned around as she saw him putting his shirt on. He said angrily "this is not your bedroom where you can walk at anytime. Knock next time."

Hayley turned to him angrily "if you didnt want me to walk in on you then you should have locked the door. Anyway I am here to take him to nurse him. He will be up soon."

She took a step towards him but Klaus blocked her path. She said angrily "Klaus, get out of my way. I am the only one he has right now. Camille wanted me to take care of him and I will until I can and if you try to do anything to stop me again I swear I will…."

He lost her temper and shouted cutting her off "you are doing this to get me under your thumb, to spite me but forget it Hayley. You will not touch _my son._"

All the tension building up in her with her constant effort to hide her feelings from him, Camille's death, guilt she had been feeling for having sex with him when she knew how much Camille and he loved each other, fear of losing her child and now him accusing her of something so cheap made her snap and before she knew it she was shouting "_how dare you? I love you. I have loved you since the day I understood the meaning of love and you_…." she stopped talking as she realized what she had said.

She started to turn but he grabbed her arm and turned her towards him and asked in shock "what?"

She wiped the tears running down her cheek and ignoring the pain that shot in her ribs said "nothing."

She tried to free herself from him but he pulled her towards him until she was inches from him and was unable to hide the truth anymore.

He continued to look into her tears brimmed eyes wondering how is it possible! And then he let her go. She walked away from him holding her head high but as soon as she entered her room, she doubled over with pain.

He stood there in daze and then all of their incidences since he had started working in the castle flashed through his mind and he wondered _'how.. no that cannot be. But what did she just say? Is it possible? No.'_

He thought for a moment and then went towards her room. As he entered he saw her holding the stone wall of the hearth with her hand on her stomach. He darted to her and asked "are you hurt?"

She looked towards him with her hand on her stomach, eyes blazing with anger, tears sticking to her lashes. She jerked his hand away, shouted "get out" and stepped away from him holding her stomach.

He stared at her suddenly overtook by anger and headed out but then he heard her soft painful voice "Klaus…."

He looked around and saw her sitting on the floor holding her stomach. He rushed to her, to her surprise scooped her up and carried her to the bed. He turned to leave when she grabbed his hand and asked "where are you going?"

Klaus said grinding his teeth "to get Amaya. It seems you are in pain. You cannot be in labor so what could it be?"

At the same time they heard the baby cry.

She said getting tired now "bring him to me and I am fine. I get these pains but they go away in a while"

He continued to look at her trying to figure out if she was telling the truth or not and should he let her nurse the baby or not.

When he didn't make an attempt to get him and the baby continued to cry, she started to get up but he snapped "bloody hell Hayley. Lie down I will bring him."

A few minutes later he looked at her back as she put the crying baby against her and in a second he got quiet to his surprise. She could feel his eyes on him so she turned around and saw him looking at her with confused expressions.

Their eyes met for briefest of the moment and then she looked away. From that day onwards he noticed the change in her. She stopped talking back to him, insulting him or even making insolent eye contacts with him which to his surprise he missed. She only talked when something necessary about his child or answered politely and to the point to something he asked from her. While she was getting sucked into her own cocoon he kept himself busy by doing all sort of chores even when he didnt have to so to keep his mind occupied.

A month after Camille's death one day when she woke up early in the morning, she was surprised to see him sleeping next to her and from that day onwards he moved in to her room. Even though they had laid with each other many times and they were husband and wife they had never actually slept together so it was really strange for her in the beginning but in just two days she got used to him, feeling his warm body against hers but feeling somewhat guilty as if she was stealing him from Camille.

He missed Camille terribly but life goes on, he recalled something that his mother used to say before she had died. So when he woke up one morning, a month after Camille's death, he was surprised to find himself in her bed but then he remembered that he was just there to check Kaleb, his son and had sat on her bed ideally afterwards and must have fallen asleep. When she didn't comment on it, he continued to do so and before he knew it he had moved in with her.

A week after he had moved into her room Hayley was fast asleep when she felt a hand on her waist. She opened her eyes and saw him next to her fast asleep. She turned towards him slowly and was staring at his face when he opened his eyes. She started to look away but he grabbed her chin gently and before she knew it, he was kissing her. Her stomach muscles tightened and she suddenly thought of Camille and felt guilty for some reason. She started to break the kiss but his hands had already moved to her back and he was pulling her towards him as his lips went to jawline and he rolled on top of her and was lifting her Shift. He looked into her eyes where he could see so many emotions that took him by surprise and he wondered _how did he miss those?_ To his surprise she just laid there looking at him in that submissive manner that he always wanted her to show but now that she was showing it, he realized he hated it. He wondered if she was giving him full control because it was their first time after Camille's death - to make him feel better but soon he realized that was not the case; she had simply given up on doing things that irritated him that he had unconsciously starting to expect from her. After that first time he never had sex with her which was a huge blow for Hayley but she realized that he needed sometime to himself to coup with this huge loss. He had lost the love of his life after all and before they knew it another month went by.

During this time living so close to her, with all her efforts of hiding it he managed to see how much she loved him perhaps because he was looking for those signs and that really surprised him. The fact that she was always there for his child's every need was making him impossible to hate her anymore and to his surprise, her changed attitude, was creating confused feelings in him and one night while looking at her sleeping next to him he realized that he wanted the Hayley he had gotten to know over the past eight years which was really confusing for him considering he hated that Hayley and then the more he thought about it the more he started getting confused about his feelings of hatred towards her. Often he woke up in the middle of the night and saw her nursing the baby. He would turn towards her and quietly observe her in that dim light of the oil lamp looking at his child as he nursed, often singing to him softly, sometimes catching his eyes while other times unaware that he was watching her.

At last he couldn't take her changed and cold attitude anymore so one day late at night after coming back from a pretty exhausting day teaching sword fighting, mowing the hay, caring for the livestock he stormed into her room with full intention of breaking her.

She was sitting on the chair holding a book ideally in her hand gazing into the dying fire when he walked in and snatched the book from her hand and started kissing her after pulling her to her feet. She didnt know what was happening but she had lost all will to show or prove him anything so she just politely returned his kiss without initiating anything that would risk annoy him. He broke the kiss, cupped her face and stared at her confused face and said "I want you."

Hayley looked into his eyes and said softly "you know you can have me at anytime. You dont need to ask."

He snapped "dont do that."

Hayley asked in confusion "what?"

He said angrily "be this submissive wife"

Hayley stared into his eyes with so much accusation in his eyes that made him feel guilty and then she asked "isn't that what you want?"

Klaus said desperately "not from you."

Hayley said bitterly "why? because you know now how I feel about you or felt about you. Is that a pity?"

Klaus stared into her anguished eyes and then he pushed her on the bed and for the first time ever started untying the strings at the front of her dress. She continued to look at him controlling her heartbeat wanting to feel him inside her again, wanting to feel his body against her naked body, wanting to smell the sweat of his hard and honest work. She wanted to take off his shirt but she recalled how much he hated that and clutched the bed sheet to stop her hands from doing something he might not like. He slipped the dress off of her shoulders. He knelt there on the bed and took his shirt off to her surprise never ever doing that before and then slipped off his breeches and pulled her dress down now leaving her in her shift. He started lifting her Shift up and ultimately took it off making her shiver. She thought of all those times when she had hoped for this to happen but never really thought that it would actually happen but now that it was happening she felt really self conscious. She hoped that he wouldn't see how his intense gaze were affecting her.

In the dim lamp light he stared at her pregnant stomach, naked breast, slender shoulders for the first time and felt a kick in his stomach. It just hit him very hard that she had been his wife for the past three months not to mention that he had known her for the past 15 years but it was the first time he was seeing her unclothed. He searched his memory trying to think if he ever thought of this ever happening between them but none came. His gaze traveled from her naked breast, to her pregnant belly and for the first time ever he felt like kissing her all over the body even though he knew he didn't love her.

He stared at her sad face and just wanted to take away all the pain she was holding in her. He pulled the sheet on them to her surprise, balanced himself on his hands not to put weight on her very pregnant belly, parted her legs with his legs keeping eye contact with her and he gently slipped into her. He saw her bite her lips for the first time ever and his heart skipped a beat as he realized that she had just controlled a moan. He looked at her lying there looking at him and whispered "if you don't take it I am never ever going to make love to you Hayley."

Hayley chocked on hearing the word _make love to you_ and asked in a voice that couldn't mask her emotions "take what?"

He leaned in and kissed her gently on her lips taking her by total surprise at how gentle he was being with her. He whispered against her lips "take control."

Hayley shook her head saying "I know you like to be in control."

Klaus said "yes, but somehow not with you."

She stared into his eyes and saw nothing but sincerity.

When she didnt do anything he started to pull himself back but then he smiled as he felt her arms go around his neck and tighten her hold on him. He said looking into her eyes "I feel like an idiot for being so clueless."

She pulled him close to her and let go. Tears that she had been holding since the day he had told her that he had found someone. She said in tearful voice "I love you so much. Do you know how hard it is to love a person who hates you and whom you want to hate?"

Klaus whispered keeping his weight balanced on his arms "forgive me Hayley. I don't know whether I hated you or not but you just infuriated me too much."

He heard a soft laugh in his ear and her say "that was the purpose. That may be you will notice me but you didn't. Then you found someone and I really got mad at you. _Knowing that someone_ didn't help the situation either so I continued to insult you hoping that maybe it will help me hate you but I never could manage that. I read in books that men were very intelligent in reading between lines."

Klaus said smiling now "not when the girl is saying smelly as a pig, illiterate piece of vermin, you are starting to smell…. should I keep going on?"  
Hayley asked with a smile on her lips and tears on her eye lid "you remember?"

Klaus said rolling his eyes "how could I forget them? Those insults were music to my ear. You did your best to make me hate you and you succeeded" making her laugh.

He continued "but the thing that infuriated me was your un-ladylike attitude."

Hayley said "that was the goal."

He lifted himself up as she unlinked her arms around his neck. His gaze went to her pregnant stomach and then her breast making her blush. He bend down and kissed her stomach gently and then looking into her eyes he said "I must say that you are more beautiful outside then you are inside" succeeding in making her annoyed. She tightened her muscles around him causing a moan to escape that he was unable to contain and he said "Oh God Hayley, I hate you."

She said trying not to smile "the feeling is mutual" but her tone deceived her.

He noticed a smile in her tone and knew she was back so he lifted himself up and looked into her eyes and said "you will find it odd but I missed you."

This time she did smile making his heart light. He asked "ready for me to make love to you for the first time."

Hayley said smiling ear to ear "yes."

Klaus said "but I want you to participate equally."

Hayley said with a twinkle in her eyes "dont you worry about me. You worry about you because I am going to make you beg by the end of night."

Klaus laughed and then he started rocking against her as his lips found the swell of her breast and started kissing her making Hayley release a moan of pleasure- first time letting her emotions known to him at the same time she grabbed his hips and squeezed them making him break contact and stare at her saying "is that all?"

She said "no I am just starting" and then she started moving with him matching his moves and satisfied smile appeared on her lips as she saw his eyes getting dazed. She whispered "you missed a spot" as she pointed towards her nipple and continued "and you need to finish this job before Kaleb wakes up" making him laugh softly. He bend to kiss her breasts gently as she matched his movement and sighed feeling content that she had at last found the first love of her life.

Later that night he held her close to him as he pulled the sheet over them to cover them. He was staring at the ceiling lost in thought while she moved her fingers ideally on his chest. He turned to her after a while and said "You know what is weird. Even though I was engaged to Camille, you have been the only constant girl in my life. The longest relationship I have with any girl. Isn't it weird?"

Hayley felt her heart sink at the mention of her name and she sensed a sadness in his voice and her heart ached for him but she said "and you are the only one who never left me whatever I did" making his heart ache for her and he pulled her to him a bit tighter. She leaned in and kissed his chest making him smile.

Next morning when he woke up, he saw her nursing the baby. Their eyes met and she smiled. She looked down at Kaleb who was falling asleep. She got up, put him in the crib and then walked to him.

Klaus looked towards her seeing her body through the see-through shift she was wearing. He raised himself on his elbows as she stopped right in front of him, held his hand and said "I need to take a bath."

He said "you …." and then realized what she was saying. He laughed wondering had he ever taken a bath with Camille but drew blank and before he knew it he was sitting in the tub with her sitting opposite him. As their eyes met he pulled her into his lap. Hayley smiled as she settled herself on his lap and started moving against him and before he knew it he was in her and she was moaning against his neck and his lips were on her breast with her hand in his hair. Later when she sat with her back touching his torso and he ran the loofa on her breast and pregnant stomach he knew that he could never let Hayley out of his life. With that realization he leaned in and kissed her on her neck making her moan with pleasure.

**_Few weeks later:_**

Before they knew it few more weeks went by and she was almost there to give birth to her child. They grew so close to each other that it was hard for them to even imagine that Klaus once hated her. Kaleb was growing up and so was Hayley. Hayley had started to mingle with neighbors. She would often invite them to her house for Quilting Bee, the event Camille had once told her about. Whenever she would look at them, she would feel sad at the loss that both Klaus, she and Kaleb had to endure. Women would would piece their quilt tops exchanging conversation while men would talk, drink and be merry and then dinner was served to all. She wanted to cook but being in the last months of her pregnancy none of the women let her so someone would bring food for everyone. After dinner, there was very often country dance where he would hold her in his arms and sway her gently on the dance floor whereas their friends would do the traditional country dance. Even though she knew a lot things but she had never had to do them but now she felt pleased with herself when she did spinning wool into yarn or flax into thread, sewing or repairing her or Klaus's clothes if needed be. Often at night she wondered what would happen to her after the baby will be born but then she would deliberately stop thinking about it just like she had stopped thinking about the child she was carrying as the days to giving birth were nearing and her fear was intensifying.

Sometimes when they would lie on their bed late into night holding each other's hand talking about their past and their present, he would think in amazement was it the same obnoxious Hayley he hated so much. It was a shock to him that somewhere along the line, he had fallen in love with her and the baby she was carrying and he knew that he couldnt let Duke Andrew take the baby from them. He realized that even though he already knew at the back of his mind that he would move heaven and earth before separating her from her child but now that he was developing a bond with the baby he was sure that he wouldnt let that happen.

The most surprising topic in their conversations was when she would bring Camille in their conversation so casually that he would just stare at her but then he started to respond to those conversation and the more they talked about her, the more his pain lessoned and then she went into labor.

Amaya was preparing her for giving birth when he started towards the door Hayley said "no stay."

He looked towards her shocked and then towards Amaya who was looking at them in surprise too but she grabbed his hand and said "stay. I want you with me" as she groaned in pain.

After a few moments he started to feel bad for her secretly marveling the strength a woman processes to birth a child.

He looked at her face tired of the effort of pushing and removed the sweaty strands of hair from her forehead. He felt the squeeze on his hand and heard her scream in pain as she pushed, so hard that he could actually feel that she was breaking his hand. Before he could stop himself the words were out "Hayley love you are breaking my hand."

Hayley looked at him in anger and hissed "something to remember me by when I die giving birth to this child."

As soon as the words were out she regretted saying when his eyes flashed in anger but before Klaus could say anything, she felt another contraction and started to push again, squeezing his hand again causing him to groan in pain and then she heard a sound that swelled her heart.

She laid there as Amaya cleaned her up after handing her child to Klaus who took the baby from her arms feeling very overwhelmed.

She raised herself on her elbows and asked Amaya who was plopping the pillow behind her "what is it?"

Amaya said "a girl." Klaus looked towards her just in time to see her slumbered back on the bed with a soft relieved laugh immediately followed by "oh god thank you."

She looked towards Klaus and said "you have no idea how much I prayed for a girl."

Klaus stared at her and for the first time he understood her uncaring attitude towards her baby. He walked to her with the baby in his arms and put her in her arms, sat down next to her as her body slumbered against his and whispered "you really didn't think that I would have let him take your baby from you."

She looked down at the innocent face trying to open her eyes moving her small fist in the air said with a smile "I hoped that you wouldn't but I dared not raise my hopes."

Klaus kissed her head and said "you can trust me with anything Hayley. This baby even if it were a boy, would have been yours. No one could take him from you."

Hayley sighed, putting the baby to her breast and said "you don't know my father Klaus. He would have taken him from me. And then I was not even sure about why you agreed to marry me."

Before he could stop himself he said in a soft voice against her hair "he threatened me that if I didn't ,he would kill you."

He felt her body getting still and cursed himself for not using his head. He turned her towards him and said "Hayley I am sorry. I wish I can do something to lessen your pain."

Hayley said "you have done it. You saved me. He would have killed me. Not just me, my baby too."

He touched the baby's cheek gently with his finger and said "you are beautiful Hope Mikaelson, just like your mother" as Hayley felt the baby suck hitching her breath.

Hayley turned to him, smiled and kissed him.

* * *

**the end. **

**A/N: Hope you liked it. I really enjoyed writing this one too…. Maybe I will whip up something again. Not promising :)**


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